Astilbe plant named ‘Beauty of Lisse’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Astilbe  plant named ‘Beauty of Lisse’, characterized by its upright plant habit; rapid growth rate; green and yellow green-colored foliage; freely and uniform flowering habit; and light red purple-colored flowers arranged on upright inflorescences.

Botanical designation: Astilbe hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Beauty of Lisse’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant, botanically known as Astilbe hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Beauty of Lisse’.

The new Astilbe is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new fast-growing Astilbe cultivars with attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Astilbe originated from a cross-pollination of two unnamed Astilbe hybrida selections. The new Astilbe was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands on the basis of its unique foliage coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by divisions in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Astilbe are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Beauty of Lisse have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Beauty of Lisse’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Beauty of Lisse’ as a new and distinct Astilbe cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Rapid growth rate.     -   2. Green and yellow green-colored foliage.     -   4. Freely and uniform flowering habit.     -   5. Light red purple-colored flowers arranged on upright         inflorescences.

The new cultivar differs from the parent selections in foliage coloration.

Plants of the new Astilbe can be compared to the Astilbe cultivars Brautschleier, not patented, and Amerika, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe differed from plants of the cultivars Brautschleier and Amerika primarily in foliage and flower coloration.

Plants of the new Astilbe can also be compared to the Astilbe cultivar Anita Pfeifer, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe differed from plants of the cultivar Anita Pfeifer in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe and the cultivar Anita Pfeifer         differed in leaf shape.     -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe and the cultivar Anita Pfeifer         differed in foliage coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Astilbe. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Beauty of Lisse’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants shown in the aforementioned photographs and used in the following description were grown in 17-cm containers under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the spring and summer in an outdoor nursery in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. Plants were about one year old when the photograph and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 20° C. and night temperatures ranged from 2° C. to 12° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Astilbe hybrida cultivar Beauty of Lisse. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Astilbe             hybrida.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Astilbe             hybrida. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By root divisions.         -   Time to rooting.—About one month at 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fine. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Perennial; upright plant habit; inverted triangle.             Flowering stems and leaves arise from the roots; dense and             bushy plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit. Freely             flowering with numerous flowers on numerous branched             panicles.         -   Growth rate.—Rapid; from divisions, about 20 weeks are             required to produce fully-grown flowering plants in 17-cm             containers.         -   Plant height.—About 75 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 50 cm.         -   Stem description.—Length: About 75 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 10 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to 139A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; bi-ternately             compound. Leaf length (including petiole): About 35 cm. Leaf             width: About 20 cm. Leaflet length: About 8 cm. Leaflet             width: About 3.6 cm. Leaflet shape: Ovate to elliptic.             Leaflet apex: Acuminate to acute. Leaflet base: Cuneate to             oblique. Leaflet margin: Serrate or occasionally biserrate.             Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely             pubescent. Leaflet luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Slightly lustrous. Leaflet venation pattern: Pinnate.             Leaflet color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 137B.             Developing foliage, lower surface: 145A. Fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: Between 145A and 144B; venation,             144D. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 145A; venation,             144D. Petiole length: About 15 cm. Petiole diameter: About             2.5 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Petiole color, upper surface: 152C. Petiole color,             lower surface: 144D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Small single flowers arranged             in upright branched panicles; flowers face upright or             outward. Freely and uniformly flowering habit; about 1,000             flowers and flower buds per plant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering during the             early summer in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual flowers last             several weeks on the plant and about one week as a cut             flower. Flowers persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; musty, but not unpleasant.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Shape: Ovate to orbicular. Color: 73B.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 2 mm. Depth (height): About 3 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About             3.5 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Ligulate to linear. Apex:             Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: 73B. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: 73D.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About 5 mm.             Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base:             Cuneate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             163D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About             ten. Anther attachment: Basifixed. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther length: Less than 0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to             158A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 20A. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: Two. Pistil length: About 2 mm. Stigma             shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 87B. Style             length: About 1.5 mm. Style color: Close to 88C. Ovary             color: Close to 88C.         -   Seeds.—Length: Less than 0.5 mm. Diameter: Less than 0.5 mm.             Color: Light brown. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Astilbe have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astilbe. -   High temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Astilbe have been     observed to tolerate temperatures of 30° C. -   Hardiness: Plants of the new Astilbe are hardy to USDA Zone 5. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant named ‘Beauty of Lisse’, as illustrated and described. 